Secondary battery tester, secondary battery testing method, and manufacturing method of secondary battery

• US 9,128,166 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Akutsu, Tomomi, Yamazaki, Daisuke, Tomosada, Nobuhiro, Kimura, Atsufumi, Kawano, Makoto, Torai, Souichirou, Yano, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CURTIS, SEAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/277,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20120182020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 324/425, 324/426, 324/430, 324/432, 324/434, 324/150, 320/158, 320/132, 702/63
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

There is provided a secondary battery tester for testing a state of a secondary battery based on an impedance characteristic of the secondary battery. The tester includes: an impedance acquiring section configured to acquire an impedance value of the secondary battery; and a determining section configured to determine a state of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer of the secondary battery based on the impedance value acquired by the impedance acquiring section.

Claims

1. A secondary battery tester for testing a state of a secondary battery based on an impedance characteristic of the secondary battery, the tester comprising:

an impedance acquiring section configured to acquire an impedance value of the secondary battery; and

a determining section configured to determine a state of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer of the secondary battery based on the impedance value acquired by the impedance acquiring section,

wherein the second battery is a lithium ion secondary battery, and

wherein the impedance acquiring section is configured to acquire the impedance value of the secondary battery when a voltage of the secondary battery is close to a lower limit of a use voltage range of the secondary battery.

2. The tester according to claim 1, wherein

the determining section is configured to determine the state of the SEI layer based on a shape of an arc of a Nyquist plot of the impedance value.

3. The tester according to claim 1, wherein the determining section is configured to detect that the SEI layer is abnormal due to hydrofluoric acid, based on the impedance value.

4. The tester according to claim 1, wherein the determining section is configured to detect that the SEI layer is abnormal due to micro-short-circuiting, based on the impedance value.

5. The tester according to claim 1, wherein the impedance acquiring section is configured to acquire an impedance value of the secondary battery for each of a plurality of frequencies.

9. The tester according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage section for storing prescribed impedance values.

10. The tester according to claim 9, wherein,

the storage section stores a peak position of an arc in an impedance Nyquist plot.

11. The tester according to claim 10, wherein,

the storage section stores a threshold value for pass or rejection of a secondary battery.

12. The tester according to claim 1, wherein a determined state of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer of the secondary battery based on the impedance value is used to indicate whether or not the secondary battery is defective.

13. The tester according to claim 1, wherein a determined state of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer of the secondary battery based on the impedance value is used to indicate acceptance or rejection of the secondary battery during a manufacturing process.

6. A secondary battery tester for testing a state of a secondary battery based on an impedance characteristic of the secondary battery, the tester comprising:

a voltage setting section that sets a voltage of the secondary battery to a voltage that is close to a lower limit of a use voltage range of the secondary battery;

an impedance acquiring section configured to acquire an impedance value of the secondary battery; and

a determining section configured to determine a state of the secondary battery based on the impedance value acquired by the impedance acquiring section.

7. The tester according to claim 6, wherein the determining section is configured to determine whether self-discharge of the secondary battery is defective or not, based on impedance value.

8. A method of testing a secondary battery, comprising:

testing a state of the secondary battery based on an impedance characteristic of the secondary battery, the testing step comprising;

(a) setting a voltage of the secondary battery to a voltage that is close to a lower limit of a use voltage range of the secondary battery;

(b) acquiring an impedance value of the secondary battery; and

(c) determining a state of the secondary battery based on the impedance value.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein a determined state of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer of the secondary battery based on the impedance value is used to indicate whether or not the secondary battery is defective.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein a determined state of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer of the secondary battery based on the impedance value is used to indicate acceptance or rejection of the secondary battery during a manufacturing process.